prolepsis
|pro-lep-sis|
/prəˈlɛpsɪs/
anticipatory taking / anticipation
Etymology
'prolepsis' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'prolēpsis' (πρόληψις), where 'pro-' meant 'before' and the root related to 'lambanein' (via 'lêpsis') meant 'to take' or 'seize'.
'prolepsis' passed from Greek 'prolēpsis' into Late Latin/Medieval Latin as 'prolepsis', and through Medieval/Modern French forms (e.g. 'prolepsie') into English as 'prolepsis'.
Initially it carried the sense of 'taking beforehand' or 'anticipatory seizure'; over time it retained the core idea of 'anticipation' but broadened to specific rhetorical, narrative, and grammatical senses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rhetorical device in which a speaker or writer anticipates and responds to possible objections or counterarguments before they are raised.
The politician used prolepsis in her speech, addressing critics' concerns before they could be raised.
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Noun 2
a narrative technique (also called a flashforward) that represents an event as if it has already occurred, even though it is set in the future relative to the main timeline.
The novel opens with a scene of disaster as a prolepsis, and then returns to events that lead up to it.
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Noun 3
in grammar/linguistics, the placing of a word or phrase before it is logically or grammatically introduced later (see cataphora).
The sentence 'Before he arrived, John called.' contains a prolepsis-like ordering where the referent is introduced later.
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Adjective 1
relating to or characterized by anticipation; done in advance or intended to prevent or preempt something (used as 'proleptic').
Their proleptic measures aimed to reduce criticism by addressing issues early.
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Last updated: 2025/08/18 09:11